Destiny and Determination
by BlackCatLucifer
Summary: It was her 6th year at Hogwarts that Slytherin Santana Lopez's strange attraction to a Hufflepuff muggle born Brittany forces her to question her beliefs and loyalty to the Dark Lord. She struggles to choose her path or discover if she had a choice at all
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: This is set back in 1971 which was when the marauders (James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin) attended Hogwarts, and will continue on to the first Wizarding war, so you will not see characters such as Harry or Draco, so if you came here looking for some Harry x Kurt or whatever you people ship these days then leave now ;)**

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><p>Santana Lopez looked lazily out of the train carriage window with an unnatural boredom for a young witch on her first train ride to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The constant rattling of the train and unpredictable jumps prevented her from going to sleep so she instead chose to let her vision blur the passing trees into a big stream of green. The slim, pretty blonde sitting next to her, Quinn she said her name was, hadn't stopped making snide remarks in the hour they had spent riding there. And what was worse was that a short fat boy with watery eyes and a ratty appearance kept staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking, it was pathetic. Her circumstances were not the best.<p>

"I supposed I'll be in Gryffindor like the rest of my family" Quinn sighed tragically, Santana tried her best to ignore her breathy voice "What about you Lopez?"

"My family are all Slytherins" she muttered fervently, not really wanting to associate with a Gryffindor girl. Actually she didn't really want to associate with this girl in general.

"I would love to be in Slytherin, you're guaranteed to be successful if you come from there" she nattered oblivious to Santana's annoyance "I would choose success over fame and glory any day"

Santana was about to snap at her to shut up until a scraggy, doggish looking boy with dark tangled hair sauntered into their carriage and smirked at Quinn.

"Hey gorgeous" he winked then turned to eye Santana "You're not too bad either"

Santana grimaced in disgust and continued staring out of the window. Nobody seemed to like quiet or had the ability to realize that Santana was at a point where any further disturbances would encourage her to pull out her wand and jinx everyone on the goddamn train.

"I'm Sirius black, thought maybe you girls might want to join me and my mates for some food or something" he said, arrogantly leaning against the carriage door.

"Sorry, I don't talk to tramps" Quinn sneered though his flattery clearly had an effect on her. Santana didn't even talk to him.

"Umm...can I come?" The ratty boy asked meekly, the girls had forgotten he was there.

"Sure I guess" Sirius sighed in disappointment. He had come for girls and would go back with a lame looking kid; James was seriously going to take the piss on his pick up skills.

Then the train jerked violently, Santana's face smashed into the window and Sirius fell to the floor banging his head against the seat. When Santana opened her eyes she saw someone had tripped through the door and onto her lap, a gangly blonde girl with a note attached to her back, '_Brittany Stupid Pierce'_.

"Sorry" she apologized shyly quickly stepping off Santana, who seemed quite justifiably pissed.

"You should watch where you're going brainless" Quinn snarled "This school isn't for people who" –

"Honey, how about you do yourself a favour and shut up" Santana growled. The only thought that was going to keep her sane was that hopefully they wouldn't be in the same house and therefore she could naturally hate her as a rival house.

The shy gangly girl had clear blue eyes and smiled softly at Santana who could only look back at her with curiosity. She liked to analyze people, and this girl's sweetness was quite endearing. Suddenly she realized a barrier could finally be made between her and Quinn for the final half an hour of the trip.

"I'm Brittany" she said quietly "thanks for saving me."

Santana blinked in surprise then shrugged her shoulders. "Santana, and its fine, sit here if you want"

Quinn gave an indignant look of absolute horror then huffed and turned away from Santana completely. Brittany looked torn; she wanted to get to know more people but quite frankly Quinn petrified her "I have friends waiting for me, thank you anyway"

"Suit yourself" Santana yawned turning back to the window. The Brittany girl skipped out of their carriage and Sirius followed her like a slobbering dog.

It didn't really matter to Santana, she didn't really care. Still she felt a little disappointed; it would have been nice to talk to someone that wasn't a total prick. Even if she agreed with most of what Quinn was saying she didn't like it when people announced their opinions to the world and didn't know when to shut up. Brittany seemed more like a listener, and if there was nothing to listen to, someone that could be content to sit in silence.

"They let some awful shit into this place" Quinn said, quickly forgetting Santana's previous insult towards her, "almost makes me wish I had gone to Beauxbatons"

"Me too" Santana growled.

She could hear her own heartbeat as the worn out material was placed on her shining raven hair. Santana had never felt more vulnerable or exposed in her entire life.  
>The only thought running through her head as she felt the sorting hat vibrate against her skull was "w<em>hat if I'm not good enough?"<em>

"Ah yes I see..." the ancient hat rumbled thoughtfully "there's only one house you have your eyes set on isn't there?"

_Please_

"I think it suits you entirely but perhaps you will find a better fate through a different house?"

_Please no..._

"Very well then" the battered hat sighed, "Slytherin!"

Santana smirked and made her way down to her house table with the emerald serpent banner that cheered in approval and welcomed her with applause. It was such a relief to the young girl that she was chosen to be in the house of snakes, after all her bloodline was as pure as a unicorn and cunning ambition was certainly a trait she conceitedly possessed. She thought of how proud her parents would be.  
>The dark brunette took a seat next to an older, sly faced boy with a long silver pony tail and expensive looking robes. A Malfoy for definite, he gave Santana a devious smile and patted her on the back.<p>

"Well done," he extended a hand in greeting "I'm Lucius, one of the prefects"

"Santana" she replied coolly shaking his hand.

"Remus Lupin!"

Santana watched with mild interest as a disheveled boy with patchy clothing walked gingerly up to the sorting hat. It was obvious to her that such a beggar would never make it into Slytherin. The hat barely sat over his brow of his shrunken head. She saw a paranoia lurking in his eyes, as if he expected the sorting hat to spit him back out.

"Gryffindor!"

Santana caught Lucius sneering in a most unattractive manner; he leaned over to her and whispered in her ear.

"Not like we would want him in our house anyway right?"

She sniggered and waited patiently for the names to all be called. She had already seen Quinn (much to her misery) who had sat with her on the train apartment, surprisingly join on opposite sides of the Slytherin table and the boy Sirius that had shamelessly flirted with her had joined the Gryffindor table. Santana could tell she was beyond ecstatic. An effeminate boy and big nosed girl that had been next door to them and wouldn't shut up had both been placed in Gryffindor and the Asian couple that couldn't keep their hands off each other on the way there, got into Ravenclaw. It was all quite boring once all she had to do was watch and wait for them all to get sorted. Then finally something interesting happened for her.

"Brittany Peirce!"

The tall blonde girl she recognized from the train stood up abruptly and knocked over several people in the process. A few laughs echoed through the hall and she blushed a bright red. Then halfway to the hat she tripped over her robes and crashed face first into the ground. Every house, Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw erupted into laughter and she continued her walk with humiliation towards her inevitable Hufflepuff fate. Even though Santana herself had been unable to hold back a giggle she felt a hot burst of anger swell in her chest when Lucius insulted her.

"What a moron, I feel sorry for Hufflepuff, they get all the idiots"

Santana didn't reply to his nasty comment, the girl was a bit of a ditz but really it was quite charming, in a way. Whatever.

Once the sorting was finished the odd, long bearded headmaster gave some prolonged, boring speech that Santana didn't really listen to about the school standards and crap. It didn't sound very important anyway. Then the feast began, Santana had never seen so much food in her life. She half listened to Lucius's pratty remarks and Quinn's snobbish opinions whilst watching a transparent ghost 'the Bloody Baron' surveying the people she would be spending a year with. From far across the other side of the hall, her eyes caught onto the familiar blue ones from Brittany the new Hufflepuff girl. Santana for the first time in her life wished she that wasn't a Slytherin.

_~ 5 Years later ~_

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Santana glared at the first year Gryffindor students who cowered away in fear of the notoriously bitchy Slytherin. Her green and silver tie was hanging loosely from her neck and a shining Prefect badge was pinned onto the front of her black robes. At first the idea of being a prefect seemed kind of lame and dorky but Santana soon realised many badass advantages came with it.

"Well?" she snapped impatiently.

"W-We were just trying to go to the common room" one of the braver ones stammered.

"No you were _running _there, and had I not noticed, you would have run into _me_, do you see where I'm going with this, brats?" She snarled viciously.

"We're sorry; we swear we won't do it again" the same one whimpered.

"I think I may have to subtract a few points from Gryffindor" she threatened harshly.

"Come on now Santana, I don't think there's any need for that."

Santana spun around to see Brittany standing behind her with an amused smile. She was wearing the Hufflepuff uniform of a yellow, black tie and the badger crest on her robes. She looked bright and beautiful as always, a ray of sunshine. If it had been anyone else Santana would have told them to mind their own business but she had always had an uncontrollable fascination for the cute blonde witch who always seemed to be around. They had never spoken of things more than a simple '_hello_' or '_hope you have a good day'_, it would be unusual for a Slytherin to associate with anyone outside of their own house, but Santana always wondered about her, always stole glances at her from the corner of the classroom. There was just something about her that caught her attention.

"You little snots better thank Godric Gryffindor that Brittany was here, now scram" she growled watching them scamper away in terror.

"Remember how we were in first year?" Brittany chuckled, her musical laugh floating down the hall.

"I swear they get more annoying every year" Santana complained idly.

"Yeah maybe" Brittany murmured in thought "Well I guess I'll see you in charms, right Santana?"

"Yes, of course" Santana replied politely. With that Brittany skipped happily down the corridor and disappeared in the twisted moving staircases.

At times Santana was tempted to have a full conversation with Brittany but it would be unnecessary and weird. After all, once you go into a pattern of only having limited greetings for five years what reason could you have to break it? They had no substance to go off of to become friends and it was just unorthodox in many more ways. Each time the thought came to mind Santana reminded herself of this, and that if Brittany had ever wanted a friendship with her why wouldn't she have initiated it?

"She's hot"

Santana rolled her eyes at the ogling portrait of a young medieval wizard and headed briskly towards the library. Yep, head bitch of Hogwarts hangs at the library; it's where all the hardcore kids chill these days.

At one of the tables was the 'golden group' which consisted of the Gryffindors, Man Hands, Porcelain, Tater Tots, the Hufflepuffs, Frankenteen, Stubbles Mc'Cripple pants, froggy lips and the Ravenclaws the Chinky Changs. Santana knew very few of their real names, and if she did it was only because they were especially annoying. She promptly avoided them and went to the back where the only people she could constitute as 'friends' were staying.  
>Quinn, Severus, Wilkes and Evan were waiting for her having a hushed discussion; she threw herself down next to them and scowled. Santana enjoyed none of their company, Quinn had become less talkative and more tolerable as the years went on but Wilkes and his stuck-up best friend Evans were still irritating as ever. Severus was a mystery, intelligent though quite aggravating due to his grudge and hatred towards Potter and his stupid friends. He was all he ever talked about Potter this and Potter that, his obsession drove Santana insane.<p>

"You're late" Severus, her fellow prefect observed.

"I was talking to someone, or do I need any permission to do that Severus?" Santana retorted coldly.

"Of course not" Severus replied shortly, "who were you talking to?"

"Oh for Christ's sake Severus" she spat, "I was talking to Brittany, the Hufflepuff girl!"

"I don't know why you would even bother wasting breath on those people" Evan said haughtily "they're all muggle loving scum."

"Shut it you twat" she cautioned "anyway it's not like we're buddies or anything, I just said hello."

"She's probably a blood traitor" Quinn stated frostily.

"Whatever, I just said hello then left, I can do what I like" Santana huffed.

"Just remember Santana, those are the type of people that oppose the Dark Lord and all he stands for, so you're either on his side, or theirs. He wouldn't let you make excuses" Wilkes warned darkly.

"How can you give me this bullshit when for years he was completely drooling over the Gryffindor mudblood?" She accused harshly.

Severus's black eyes flashed dangerously though he didn't say anything. His lip curled angrily into a snarl but he didn't dare defend Lily in the presence of his friends. He composed himself and let Evan speak for him.

"Severus saw the error of being acquainted with such distasteful company; he no longer associates with it"

Santana just stared at them with her mouth gaping. How dare they tell Santana Lopez who she is and isn't allowed to speak with? She didn't give a shit what blood linage they came from how _dare _they try to tell her who she could speak to.

"Screw this, I'm leaving" She kicked back her chair and stormed furiously out of the library. When she passed by the Golden Group Big Nose stood up and raised her hand nervously.

"Good morning Santana" –

"Shut it Goblin fingers!" She snapped back at Rachel, the Gryffindor Head Girl. She heard them grumble under their breath about her. She didn't care, her anger blindly continued until she got to her charms class with Professor Schuster.

"I can talk to whoever I like" she muttered "I can do whatever I want"

"Santana, so glad you decided to join us today" the handsome curly haired professor said brightly, like he actually meant it. Santana rolled her eyes and took a seat around the back. Brittany a couple of desks away gave her a small wave.

"Ok guys as I said before, we are going to move on from N.E.W.T.S revision and try some new material that I think you guys are going to enjoy, it's quite a fun charm that causes people to act upon their desires" the charms professor grinned and Santana could tell that he had done this class before and the result had been rather amusing, "now the pronunciation of this is '_desiderio deditionem' _say it with me please class"

He got the whole charms class to chant it back and forth a few times before he was satisfied.

"The wand movement is a very simple slash to the left then point, practice it a few times before you think you're ready" he instructed "then pick a partner to practice on, preferably someone you get along with because I would rather not have to send students to Madam Pillsbury because of your desires to punch your partners"

Santana got the verbal and movement down easily but she kept doing it anyway. Nobody ever liked being her partner for any lesson. Then when she glanced at Brittany who was struggling with both the verbal and the movement she decided she would prove to herself that she _could_ do _whatever_ she liked. It seemed quite fitting to the lesson.

"Do you need some help?" she asked Brittany quietly.

Brittany looked up in surprise then turned her head slightly to check that Santana was talking to her. When she realized the Latina Slytherin was indeed speaking with her and offering her services she bowed her head bashfully.

"Yeah but I don't want to bother you, I'm just having some trouble saying 'desidreeno detitimen' or whatever" she mumbled.

"Just break it down like we were taught" Santana explained patiently crouching down to Brittany's level "des–id–eh–rio ded-it-i-o-nem"

"Desiddy...no that's not right" she moaned in frustration "sorry, I'm kind of stupid"

"Just try again" Santana encouraged. Brittany's tongue kept tripping but eventually she could almost say it correctly.

"Des...iderio?" Brittany looked back at Santana for approval who nodded for her to carry on, "deditionem, yeah?"

"Yeah, that's great work Brittany" Santana praised happily to the grinning blonde "can you do the slash and point?"

Brittany gave her a little demonstration of her very enthusiastic slash and point. Santana chuckled and shook her head slightly.

"That's good but maybe tone it down a little, and it's supposed to go down to your left" Santana explained good-naturedly, Brittany only looked confused.

"I am doing it to my left though, see?" she did it again to make her point.

Santana gently took her left hand and held it for a second.

"It's this one" she smiled, her touch lingering for just a second too long. She let it go awkwardly then cleared her throat a little "Guess maybe you should practice now huh?"

"On you?" Brittany asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, go for it, hit me!" Santana shrugged then quickly rethought it through, what actions might she subconsciously be suppressing? She had seen some people picking their noses or scratching their ball sack whilst telling their partner that it didn't seem to have worked. What if she did something like that?

"If you're sure!" Brittany excitedly pulled out a long ivory wand that sparked at the tip when she carelessly wove it around.

"That's holly right, about twelve inches? What's the core?" Santana asked, eyeing the masterfully Ollivander crafted wand.

"Yeah that's right, a unicorn hair actually. I was so glad it chose me" she said, stroking the wand affectionately then positioning herself in front of Santana "are you ready?"

"Um...yeah?" the Slytherin gulped, bracing herself valiantly "Go!"

"Desiderio deditionem!"

The tip of the wand shot a thin, feeble, blue, stream of light towards Santana's heart. She could definitely feel it, her chest felt like it was glowing with warmth way after the seconds of light had left her skin and her head felt a little numb. If you had asked Santana to do a math equation after that she wouldn't have even been able to give you her multiples of eight. However, she felt light and safe, like being wrapped up in a blanket or someone's arms.

"Santana, are you okay? Did it work?" Brittany gasped as the previously tense, cautious girl started sniggering a little to herself.

"You know what Britt I don't think it did, can I call you that? Anyway whatever you did was completely fucking awesome" Santana smirked lazily "Oh and your eyes are really pretty"

"Thanks Santana" Brittany laughed awkwardly "are you sure you're okay?"

"Absolutely, can I have a go on you now?" she pulled out her ten and a half inch blackthorn with a thestral tail hair centre and readied herself.

"Wait, Santana!" Brittany halted the unsteady witch, then whispered nervously "I would prefer it if you didn't practice on me"

"Why not? Oh I geddit, what secret desires are you not wanting to act upon?" Santana winked over exaggeratedly earning a puzzled look from Brittany "Is there someone you want to beat up or something? Who is it, I'll beat their ass, I feel like a fight"

"No Santana it's not like that" Brittany pushed the girl back into her seat and spoke softly in her ear "It's me that would get hurt"

"I wouldn't let that happen" Santana said quite seriously without even knowing what the hell she was talking about "anyone who ever tried to hurt you would end up at the bottom of the Hogwarts lagoon"

"Don't be silly, it's just the spell" Brittany giggled

"No I mean it Britt, I promise that if anyone gives you trouble I'll go all" –

Santana bared her teeth and made loud roaring sounds that her not enchanted self would be mortified witnessing. Brittany broke into hysterics and Santana joined in with her. She felt different to the way that she had felt her previous six years of school, maybe (probably) it was because of the spell that was making her act like a demented werewolf but she wondered was it something else. Maybe because she was holding a conversation with someone who she didn't despise? Or was it all her sub conscience screaming at her that this girl was supposed to be her friend?

"Britt, I think that you should totally go out with me!" She slurred," I don't have any friends really, and you always seemed interesting so can I take you out sometime? "

It was a few hours after Brittany's excited nod and calling Professor Sylvester an old, cruel, ugly bitch after passing her in the corridor thus earning herself a month's detention that the enchantment haze started to fade and Santana realized what she had done.

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><p><strong>I know that a lot of various people would think of this as a lame idea. Let me try to explain myself to the fanfiction community.<strong>  
><strong>I am someone who would consider myself to be a Slytherin. I am a very ambitious person and there isn't much I wouldn't do to get to where I want to be. And I was a little disappointed with the end of the Deathly Hallows. Where were the fighting Slytherins?<strong>  
><strong>That's right, there wasn't any. Sure we had the excellent redemption of Severus Snape but surely there must have been one or two Slytherins that didn't want to be ruled by the Dark Lord and were able to put aside their differences to fight together in the final battle.<strong>

**Then it occurred to me, what if there were, however they were under so much pressure as Slytherins to submit to these beliefs that it blocked all other forms of thought? What if a Slytherin struggled with what they believed in, because it was what they were brought up with but it just seemed wrong. How would they deal with this?**

**Then those of you who are asking me why I would explore this idea through Glee? I felt like writing about Glee. Please review!**

**BlackCatLucifer**


	2. Chapter 2

**BETA NEEDED  
><strong>

**Ok first off, thank you all so much for the reviews you left and I apologise for how long I left this. Because this is all new to me and I was a little overwhelmed by the number of people that took interest in this I thought my second chapter wasn't good enough and the longer I left it the more guilty I got and the more I procrastinate... It's just a vicious cycle really. Won't happen again I swear.****  
><strong>**As one reviewer said my spelling and grammar needs a little work and any tips on how to improve my writing is valuable so message me if you are interested in becoming my beta. I was a little embarrassed at some of those mistakes.**

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><p>It had been snowing the night before, and Hogwarts students awoke to a frosty layer of white, sprinkled across their school. The young Whomping Willow shivered and violently shook its branches sending snow and ice flying in all directions; god knows why they decided to plant the awful thing there. Outside of the castle people were using their magic to carefully mould the small snowballs into exploding bombs of frost, not that Santana Lopez could witness any of this from the Slytherin dungeons. It was freezing but people were still trying to make their best of their winter Saturday morning. Everyone but her of course, she had locked herself and Quinn in the dormitory room until she could figure out how to resolve the problem that she had somehow found herself in.<p>

What the hell am I going to do?" Santana muttered anxiously for the seventh time that morning.

"It's your own fault Santana" Quinn stated unsympathetically.

Santana had spent a good few hours pacing in between the beds and worrying whilst Quinn unhelpfully sat on her bed finishing her potions essay. Even though she and Brittany had set no official time to do something, Santana knew that the weekend would be a perfect opportunity where she hadn't the excuse of classes to avoid it.

"I didn't even know what I was doing, I was under a charm" she explained irritably.

"How much sneezewort do you think I should add to the mix?"

"How should I know Princess, I failed potions remember?" Santana growled.

"Look what are you even concerned about, just tell her you can't go" Quinn muttered in between chewing her pencil thoughtfully.

It was the simplest answer. Telling Brittany she wouldn't go was a perfectly reasonable way to respond to the situation. She knew it would work. She knew that if she did, then Brittany would catch on to what was happening, she knew Brittany wouldn't propose an outing again.  
>Somehow though it just didn't sit right with her, it would be rude and though it wasn't something that Santana normally cared about, she didn't want to upset her.<p>

"No she'll just keep pestering me" Santana retorted continuing her restless walk back and forth across the room.

"Then just avoid her or if it comes down to it then go study with her and make it unpleasant" Quinn sighed "I'm so glad I'm not you, I would hate to spend a day babysitting that _moron_"

Santana opened her mouth to snap something at Quinn but stopped herself quickly. Why defend a stranger over her friend?

"I don't even know why you suggested it in the first place" Quinn shrugged throwing her essay to one side and sitting upright on the bed.

"I don't know, it's kind of..." Santana sat down next to the only girl that even came close to being a best friend and struggled to put it into words "What do you even want to do when you graduate Quinn?"

For a moment Quinn gazed out the window wistfully, her green eyes drifted to a place far from where they were now.

"I'd like to work in the ministry maybe, I don't have a clue what department" she answered honestly "But I know that that's what I want to do in the future"

"What about a relationship?" Santana pressed.

"Well yeah I'd like to get married and maybe have a couple of kids" she shrugged.

"The man that you marry, what will he be like?"

"I don't know Santana where are you going with this?" Quinn huffed.

"But that's the thing Quinn, you _do_ know, you already have a perfect image of who you're going to marry in your head right now" Santana ranted heatedly "He'll be wealthy, he'll be powerful, he'll have connections within all sorts of branches in the ministry, he'll be a pure blood and he might even be a death eater, and though you would prefer he wasn't you would have no problem with it either!"

"What is your point Santana?" Quinn growled through her teeth.

"My point is that that is _all_ we're are getting, both of us are expected to enter a loveless marriage for the sake of our bloodline!"

"What do you suggest then? That we both become dirt poor and marry muggle borns? That we poison our children's blood and probably cause them to turn out a squib?" Quinn said coldly.

"No, that's not what I'm saying" Santana sighed wearily "Don't you feel like we have almost no control over it? Don't you get tired of the predictable bullshit?"

Quinn didn't answer. She stood up, searched through her wardrobe and pulled out a thick coat and her uniform green and white scarf.

"I'm going out."

"What, where?" Santana moaned, "You're supposed to stay with me until I figure this out!"

"Do whatever you want Santana, I really don't care" Quinn drawled tiredly "Just remember that your C.M.C assignment is due Monday."

With that Quinn slammed the door and left her completely alone. Santana flopped back onto her bed and skimmed through the pages of her text book, she was fully dressed, ready to go out and tackle the day. She was too unsure of how to tackle the issue of Brittany though, so she instead opted to hide in the dormitory until dinner time. Santana Lopez never thought she would see the day when she would hide in her own school.

Then suddenly she glanced down and screeched, shooting up in fright. Sitting beneath her feet was a _duck_. What the fuck was a duck doing in the Slytherin dormitory?

Santana inspected it further to see if it were a ghost, can animals even be ghosts? Even though it had the strange silver colour it seemed too solid, it wasn't transparent like the bloody baron or _Peeves_. God forbid that duck be anything like Peeves. It was looking up at her expectantly like it was waiting for something, then it waddled towards the door and waited patiently.

"Are you fucking serious?"

The duck nodded and even gave her a small quack. Santana rolled her eyes and decided, why not? Why not follow a duck around the school; it wasn't like she was doing much else. She stood up and opened the door and the duck scampered through, it was a rather amusing sight, seeing the clumsy bird so excited to take Santana wherever the hell it was they were going.

It took her through the common room and out of the Slytherin dungeon; all the while most people who saw the silver duck ignored it, like it was a common thing to see silver ducks wandering the halls, though she did manage to catch one or two glimpses of people who gazed in awe or whispered elatedly to their friends. Maybe this was the prophecy of the silver duck, and she had been chosen to finally defeat the Master Embassy of the Ninth Tuna Abyss and her prize was a castle made of gold and breadsticks.

. . . Merlin she needed some fresh air.

"Hey!"

'_Why would you follow a duck and expect good things to come of it?'_

Brittany was waiting by the foot of the Grand Staircase, wearing black tights under a pair of shorts and wrapped up in a jacket, considering it was snowing outside it seemed to be the most ridiculous thing anyone could choose to wear. Still it looked kind of cute, her cheeks were a little flushed from the bitter cold but she was smiling brightly none the less, she looked thrilled that Santana had finally turned up.

"Is this yours?" Santana asked, pointing at the silver duck which seemed to slowly fade away once its mission was complete.

"It's called a patronus charm; me and some of my friends learnt how to use it so we could talk to each other from a distance sometimes at night ..."

The charm was familiar to Santana, they had learnt about it on their brief study of the dementor and lethifold in her defence against the dark arts class last year, though she was surprised to remember it considering she had only attended half of her classes with Professor Sylvester. The normally eccentric teacher had waved away requests for the charm to be either taught or performed; she said she didn't have the necessary requirements to execute the extremely difficult spell. Santana was surprised that Brittany had managed to master it when she was aware that very few qualified wizards were able to.

"Maybe I could teach you sometime" Brittany offered cheerfully.

"Yeah maybe" Santana replied uncertainly "So do you need some assignment help or?"

Brittany's excitement dulled and she looked a little disappointed.

"How am I supposed to get to know you if we spend the day doing _school_ work" she protested "I thought maybe we could go out"

"Umm . . . Sure I guess"

'_Going out was never part of the fucking plan here'._

"Great, there's a trip to Hogsmeade planned for today, we might make it if we run"

"Okay but don't you want to put on some jeans or something" –

"Awesome let's go!" Without waiting for another word Brittany grabbed Santana's hand and started to run down the staircase, pulling the startled witch along with her.

Being several inches taller than her Brittany's long legs raced through the hall weaving in and out of the students that had just gotten out of breakfast, leaving the much shorter Santana to be dragged and knocked into various other people.

"Whoa slow down a little!" she panted but the blonde just laughed and ignored her shattered plea, continuing to run until they found themselves outside the Hogwarts castle. Before Santana had any time to catch her breath Brittany once again took her hand and sprinted as hard as she could past the great lake and towards the Hogsmeade station. As soon as they stopped in front of the coach Santana collapsed with exhaustion onto a seat and Brittany happily sat beside her, she hadn't even broken a sweat.

"I thought Quidditch players were supposed to be fit?" She joked well naturedly.

"Yeah well you don't do a lot of running with a broom stick" Santana gasped, too exhausted to make it sound as mean as she intended.

"You look pretty fit anyway."

"What?"

"I hope I'm not keeping you from a date or anything, I bet people on the Quidditch team get asked out a lot" she mused casually whilst fiddling round in her pocket to count the galleons she had managed to scrape out.

It made Santana smirk a little, because she was quite proud to admit that she did get asked out a lot. Not as much lately because Noah Puckerman had gotten suspended for putting a philtre in Professor Sylvester's drink, he had only done as a joke but somehow the stupid bastard had made it too strong and she was unconscious for a week. Santana didn't really care if he made it back at all. She was enjoying her time of not being bothered and having to reject the crude Gryffindor's advance daily.

Not that anyone actually interested her, but the Slytherin keeper Americus Faxon had been giving her the eye lately at practice and he was from one of the most influential, pure-blood, wizard families in Britain. It wouldn't hurt to flaunt him around the school a little.

"Well when you look like this it just comes naturally I guess" she said arrogantly.

They exchanged a bit of trivial gossip until the coach slowly scraped along the path and halted at the village, Santana realised she was quite relieved she had chosen to go out today. For a Hufflepuff Brittany wasn't bad conversation.

"Wow everything looks so Christmassy" Brittany exclaimed stepping off the coach and twirling around in the falling flakes of snow.

Santana had only ever been to Hogsmeade once, in her third year and had not returned because she lacked any interest for it what so ever. Then again it's really supposed to be a trip you visit with your friends, where as Santana had gone alone. Just like the last time she had visited Hogsmeade was a charming picture of the perfect Christmas holiday.

"Let's have a look around San!"

Santana's head snapped up at the unfamiliar way Brittany had addressed her, she wasn't sure if it was normal to have a nickname this early. It wasn't like she had ever had one before.

"Where did you want to go?" she asked gruffly pulling the cloak tighter around her freezing body and suppressing a shiver.

"Let's look around the shops a bit, I wanna see if Zonko's got some new stuff" she suggested linking her arm in the reluctant Santana's and pulled her along once more, oblivious to her lack of enthusiasm for the popular joke shop.

The place was in complete chaos when they squeezed through the door, students were madly rushing everywhere to snatch the latest products up for grabs, the colourful assortments on the shelves buzzed, clapped, shined, jumped and snarled. It was like a twisted mix of a children's store and hell. Brittany easily pushed through the crowds and a single glare from Santana's dark; paralyzing eyes forced the mob to part with terror. Sometimes being a bitch had its uses.

"What do you think about this San?" Brittany cupped a small black cube in her hands with the label 'Demon Box' in big blood red letters across the lid. There was an illustration of a small bogey green imp like creature smiling dementedly on the front.

"_Don't let out at midnight, they tend to savage people!"_

"What would you want one of those things for?" Santana asked, the tiny demon illustration gave her the finger and the box rattled viciously.

"Don't you think it looks cute?" Brittany said adoringly.

". . . Not even a little"

"I suppose it wouldn't be fair on Lord Tubbington" she sighed putting it back on the shelf and continuing her search. Soon enough her blonde hair bobbed back up once more and requested Santana's opinion.

"Brittany I can't think for any reason why you would want an 'Out to Lunch Fake Moustache'" Santana laughed, Brittany pouted slightly in confusion.

"But I would look so cool don't you think?" she insisted holding the picture up to her face to demonstrate her point.

"Keep looking" Santana snickered; she decided to join Brittany in her search for something worthwhile amongst the crazy or just plain dangerous items on sale.

"Ooh I'm definitely getting these" Brittany said ecstatically bagging a small blue bottle as if it would jump from her hands and escape. Maybe it would.

"What is it?" Santana asked curiously.

"I'll show you later, but it's all I can afford if we want something to eat" Brittany shouted over the rising noise of the growing crowd that had entered the shop.

Brittany paid three galleons for the mystery bottle and they left Zonko's quickly.

"I almost f-forgot what fresh air actually w-was" Santana stammered once they returned to the icy, blustery weather of outside.

"We still have a lot more shops to look at!"

_Fuck_

Compared to Zonko's, it was no different to the sweet shop Honeydukes in terms of insanity. It may have even been worse. This time there were children of all ages, not just Hogwarts students but residents of the village too that had grown fat on the sweet delights they had access to all year round. Santana found it a little revolting. There was every sort of sweet, toffee, lolly, gum, chew or sugary indulgence that the world had to offer, Brittany made some comment about it looking like a small Willy Wonka factory (Santana had no idea what she was on about) but they also had some more unsavoury things on display. Santana had to discourage Brittany on numerous occasions away from the exploding bon bombs, cockroach clusters, fungus fudge or acid pops.

Brittany just bought some ice mice that they shared on the way to the owl post so that Brittany could drop off a few letters to her parents and then they paid a visit to Dominic Maestro's music shop.

"Do you play?" Brittany asked innocently, casting her gaze over the once renowned music store known for its most finely crafted instruments.

"No." Santana lied, she looked contemplatively around at the worn out beaten instruments collecting dust on the floor. "No I don't play anything"

"Oh ok, I used to be able to play rock around the clock on piano but I forgot" she recounted thoughtfully.

"We should go before we suffocate from the filth in this place" Santana sneered shooting a nasty look at the elderly shop owner.

"I know the perfect place to go!" Brittany led the way out with a slight tug on her company's jacket.

Santana couldn't get out quick enough. Old Dominic Maestro himself leered as he watched the two leave.

"We can get a butter beer at the three broomsticks, have you ever had one before?"

"Yeah I've had a few, do you have any cash left though?" Santana asked, noting that Brittany's once bulging pocket of jingling coins was now flat and silent. In an almost comical fashion Brittany's eyes popped wide open and her mouth formed a distinctive 'o' shape, like a little light bulb had suddenly lit up in her mind. She stopped and rummaged around in her pocket and pulled out a few spare knuts and sickles.

"Looks like I'll have to go without," she muttered forlornly.

Santana rolled her eyes and yanked Brittany by the sleeve into the warm comfort of the busy but quietly pleasant pub.

"What are you" –

"I'm paying for you" Santana said firmly pushing Brittany down in a seat and calling up the waitress before she could protest. Only because she wanted a drink though, and it would be weird drinking when someone else isn't. That was understandable. . .

"What can I get you girls?" The young blonde waitress drawled tiredly, then looked up at Brittany and grinned, lightening up noticeably "Brittany, I haven't seen you in a while"

"Hi Rosmerta, we've been busy studying for exams and stuff so I haven't had a chance to visit as often" Brittany replied cheerfully, Santana frowned at the unwelcome company.

"Well you know what I say, your brain will turn to mush if you don't live a little, no use for exams then eh?" she laughed heartily "Who've you brought over this time?" she asked gesturing over to Santana who was becoming rapidly annoyed by the waitresses presence.

"This is my friend Santana Lopez," Brittany introduced her affectionately with a small nudge "we're both taking a break from school work"

At the mention of her name Rosmerta stiffened and the muscles in between her eye brows tightened though it was obvious she tried to hide it. Santana felt a low snarl rumble in the back of her throat from the anger; she didn't try to hide her disgust. She was quite aware of the waitress's feelings towards her.

"Would your father happen to be _Agustin_ Lopez?" she asked frostily.

"Yeah, that's right" Santana growled back. She glared at the appalled Rosmerta and challenged the waitress with her sharp eyes to say anything else. She dared her to take it further.

"Right, I see" she muttered coldly then looked back to Brittany with a worried glance. A look Santana was quite sure said '_what are you doing with this?' _"How's Delilah?"

"Oh she's good I guess" Brittany said shifting uncomfortably in her seat "I haven't really had the chance to see her"

"I hope you know what you're doing Brittany" she said giving a final glance back at Santana who was quite close to telling her to fuck off. She gave a forced smile and pulled out her notepad "What'll it be, whatever it is, it's on the house"

"Thanks but I'll be paying" Santana cut in brusquely "two butter beers, keep the change" she tossed a few galleons into Rosmerta's hands who gaped at the sheer nerve and rudeness that the younger girl had given her. She shook her head and decided not to say anything, in case her emotions become too strong. Brittany just smiled obliviously as if the whole exchange hadn't existed.

"Who's Delilah?" Santana questioned more out of desire to keep a conversation than actual curiosity.

"Delilah Tamah, she's a Ravenclaw, you wouldn't know her" Brittany dismissed the question and changed the subject "I didn't go out today to talk about her; I want to know about you San."

Santana paused for a moment and wondered what there was to know? Why did it matter anyway?  
>Taking Santana's moment of thought as discomfort she cocked her head to the side slightly, almost like a confused dog and gave an amused smile.<p>

"You don't mind if I call you that do you?" She teased, "You _did_ get to call me Britt yesterday."

"No, call me what you want; like most people do," she muttered offhandedly "it's just that I'm a little...Well what you see is what you get"

"I know; that's what I like about you"

Whoa, someone _liked _that she said and did what she wanted regardless of anyone else's feelings? Nice one Santana, you pick them well.

"What about your family, how did Rosmerta know your dad? Does he work for the ministry?"

'_Oh her innocence' _Santana thought.

"Yeah, you could say that" she replied dryly.

"That's pretty awesome, how about siblings?"

"A brother, he graduated ages ago" she tried to keep her answers concerning family short as possible and hoped Brittany would catch on to her reluctance towards speaking about family.

"I have a little sister myself, Cassie" Brittany said "she's still back at home though"

"Where is home for you?" Santana asked, as it was obvious that like her and many other students at Hogwarts, she was not from the United Kingdom.

"I'm Dutch" she said proudly "it's always a travel to get here, but I didn't really have much choice..." she trailed off looking as if she had said the wrong thing.

"But you're from the Netherlands?" Santana said "you could have gone to Durmstrang Academy"

Brittany paused before deciding to answer and locked her eyes with Santana, her expression darkened into seriousness and she took a deep breath, Santana could see that she considered what she was about to say a risk.

"No Santana, I couldn't have gone" she murmured, her voice barely perceptible "Durmstrang wouldn't have allowed me to attend."

"Why not, was there some stupid entrance exam you didn't pass?"

"No Santana, they don't allow muggle borns to attend."

It took a while for Santana to process the words through her mind. Maybe she had misheard her.

"Sorry, what?"

"I couldn't go to Durmstrang. Because my parents are muggles" she whispered.

Santana just stared. Then she scowled angrily and tried to say something, but the words kept getting caught in her throat or dying when she opened her mouth. Eventually she just shook her head in disgust and got up from her seat, leaving Brittany alone – in such a cliché fashion – in a bar.

Once hit by the blast of bitter cold she thought how stupid it was.

Too god damn good to be true.


End file.
